Oh, look. Hegemony.

[truepenny]

Today on CNN, both the Pope and Our Shrub are speaking out against gay marriage, and with alarmingly similar language. "Marriage exists solely between a man and woman," says the Pope; ""I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, and I think we ought to codify that one way or another," says Shrub. And just in case you thought Shrub's stance might be something other than fundie, he is further quoted as saying, "Yes, I am mindful that we're all sinners. And I caution those who may try to take the speck out of the neighbor's eye when they've got a log in their own." And apparently, the fact that we ought to be "a welcoming country" (on which I have to say our track record in recent years has been less than spectacular) does not in any way oblige "somebody like me ... to compromise on an issue such as marriage." It's that "like me" that gets me. Like you how, Shrub? A privileged white heterosexual male? A Texan? A Republican? A Christian? A President? None of these categories would be any the worse for practicing some compromise.

The Pope is at least honest about his opinions: "Marriage is holy, while homosexual acts go against the natural moral law." And I'm sure he goes farther than Shrub only because he's the Pope and he can: "Allowing children to be adopted by persons living in such (homosexual) unions would actually mean doing violence to these children ... (placing) them in an environment that is not conducive to their full human development." Sounds like a plank in the Republican platform to me.

*snarls indiscriminately at Pope and Shrub*

Comments

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry. It's a quote from Jackson's The Two Towers which has made it into my personal lexicon. It's Gollum's phrase, and he's speaking to Sam--who, while hefty, is neither fat nor stupid nor icky. I don't consider "fat" to equal "icky," either; it's just the phrase. But you're right. That's horribly liable to misconstrual. I shall edit.

I am truly sorry. I wasn't thinking about "fat" as a separate word, only in the context of "stupid fat hobbit," which is Gollum's term of contempt. No disparagement of actual fat persons was meant. Mea maxima culpa.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Yes, but I am sorry for making you start your day with a re-education project when I do know better. I was so irritated with the language used by the Great White Fathers that I forgot to mind my own. It was stupid of me and, I hope, unwonted.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

The difference is that the Pope is just issuing advice for people who want to listen to him and people who work for him, whereas Bush actually has power.

I'm proud to live in a country where any two people who want to can get married. This isn't ideal, but it's a lot better than nothing.

[yonmei.livejournal.com]

My feeling is that the Pope, and Dubya, can (thankfully) go stuff themselves.

Same-sex marriage is coming to Europe: new equality law requirements mean that governments are no longer allowed to discriminate on tax and pensions with regard to same-sex couples. Since tax and pensions are the most expensive part of permitting same-sex couples to be legally registered as a couple, it makes it more likely that governments will concede the other rights, too. The Pope can (of course) dictate that the Catholic church will not recognise same-sex partnerships as religious marriages: he cannot prevent civil marriage, or registered partnership, or whatever each country chooses to call it.

Same-sex marriage is coming to Canada, too. I suspect that in ten years time, if the US is still holding out against federal recognition of same-sex marriage, it will be an unusual holdout in the West: Canada will recognise same-sex marriage, and most of Europe.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

It's here. Marriage, not just for boring straight people any more.

Couple of friends of mine in Vancouver are getting married next month, two brides, no groom -- they've been together for 15 years already.

The world appears to be divided into people who think "is that cool or what!" and minions of Bush and the Pope.

[yonmei.livejournal.com]

Ah? I knew Canada now had legal same-sex partnership recognition. I wasn't sure whether it was fully federally recognised and definitely marriage - that is, backed by the force of international law and custom that says if a couple are legally married in one country, they are regarded as legally married in any country they move to.

Respect for same sex partnerships

[dmsherwood53.livejournal.com]

Well its coming but pparently not in HoolyWood. Caught,on TV,part of a news item on a new big promotion film coming out wherein a Stud has trouble having his way with a woman who seems articulate witty and non too impressed with him Finally he finds out the trouble she's a LESBIAN. Happy ending as he wins her over to Het sex. Not likey to win Politically Correct award of th Year